Everything

Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God(Philippians 4:6).

Have you ever wondered if your requests seem unimportant or too trivial to bring before the Creator of the Universe?  I mean, seriously, why should I bother Him with what to cook for dinner when some mom is wondering if she’ll even have food for her children this week. Or is it presumptuous to pray for a good grade when there are people facing dire circumstances.

It’s a common struggle. Sometimes we hesitate to bother God with our everyday concerns, but in this verse, God’s word says not to be anxious about anything. Anything means “any . thing” no matter what. It is not limited to anyone’s definition of what is important or trivial.

God, Himself is inviting us to share our needs (and even our hopes and wants) openly with Him. Our relationship with Him, like any good relationship, should be built with transparency and honesty.

A wise person once said that when we have a thought that is troubling, we should ask ourselves “Who is the author of that thought?” If I am thinking that my concerns are too insignificant or that God has more important things to do, the author of that thought is not the One who said to ask anything, or the One who said to pray without ceasing.

This verse, however, comes with a condition— add to our prayer thanksgiving. Take note, thanksgiving is given to God during the request time, not just after it is answered. Thanking Him at this time demonstrates our faith that our prayer will be heard and answered in the way that is best for us. It demonstrates trust in Him knowing that God may not always change our circumstances, or answer in the way we want Him to, but He does promise to give us peace and to guard our hearts and minds as we pray seeking Him and His way.

Follow Me

As He was setting out on a journey, a man ran up to Him and knelt before Him, and asked Him, “Good Teacher, what shall I do so that I may inherit eternal life?”….   Looking at him, Jesus showed love to him and said to him, “One thing you lack: go and sell all you possess and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, follow Me.” (Mark 10:17&21)

There have been many messages written and preached about this passage. Most have dealt with the first part—priorities. The rich young ruler’s attachment to material possessions prevented him from fully embracing Jesus’ teachings. Jesus highlighted the challenge of prioritizing God over worldly wealth in that one must be willing to let go of anything that hinders his relationship with God.

But there is a very important second part to this passage…”and come, follow Me.” As we look at Jesus’s life on earth as an example, this may be even more difficult than the first part.

Following Jesus isn’t just about our performance. It is about a relationship with Him and a change in lifestyle. It means daily surrendering our own priorities, and desires, and viewpoints to put God first and follow His will.

It is loving unconditionally and intentionally showing love, compassion, kindness, and forgiveness to even those who we find hard to tolerate, let alone love.

When we follow Jesus, it takes a closer look at what He did when He walked on the earth. He talked constantly with the Father, not just during the special time set aside as prayer time, but continuously.

Jesus knew God’s Word and quoted it as a weapon against the evil one.

Following Jesus is not just a checklist of imitating His behaviors, but offering our body, mind, and spirit in imitation of His character and transforming our life.

Conform or Transform

Don’t copy the behavior and customs of this world, but let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think. Then you will learn to know God’s will for you, which is good and pleasing and perfect (Romans 12:2 NLT).

Although Paul, through the Holy Spirit wrote his letter to the Romans over 2000 years ago, it has been relevant through the years and is still relevant today. The motivation of the world is less likely to seek truth, righteousness and goodness, but rather prioritize comfort, wealth and power. Scripture tells us to seek the things from above. The worldly things are temporary; the (Holy) spiritual values are eternal.

The body has some very powerful members, like the tongue for example. But the mind (the mental faculties, reason, understanding, thoughts) is really the control panel. It’s the one that calls the shots, but it also can easily be deceived. When informed by evil, it becomes evil; when informed by God, it becomes a channel of good. That is why we are urged in multiple places in scripture to submit it to the Holy Spirit. Nothing changes until first the mind changes.

Our truth, our North Star that guides us through this life should not be the fickle views of the world, but rather to seek God’s will through prayer and scripture, and to discern what is good and acceptable.

Resolutions

Do everything without complaining or arguing, so that you may be blameless and pure, children of God without fault in a crooked and perverse generation, in which you shine as lights in the world…(Phil 2:14-15).

I quit making new year’s resolutions quite a few years ago. They were always about food and lasted about one week max. However, I have recently been studying Philippians and I found a resolution that had my name on it. In Philippians 2:14, Paul advises us to do everything without complaining or arguing. When I complain about my circumstances it is really questioning the providence of God.

There are two areas where I am an especially notorious grumbler. The first is when things aren’t happening when I think they should. Even if the idea comes from God, my timing is usually do-it-now. I have learned, often the hard way, that His timing is perfect. My hope in this area is not to complain about waiting and not try to manipulate circumstances to fit my schedule.

My second area of complaint is one that may seem silly to some of you—it’s clutter. It doesn’t bother me a bit in someone else’s home, office, or area. Just mine. If I complain in this area, am I unappreciative of God’s provision? Or maybe I just own more than I need or can use. Or maybe I feel out of control when things are in disarray. This is an area that I really need to pray about and get under submission to the Father. In the meantime, even if I don’t understand why, I can still resolve not to complain.

What is my part and what is God’s part. My first step is to pray. Pray for an awareness of this unpleasant (and sinful) habit.

Then replace—replace complaining with gratitude. In each situation there is a reason for gratitude. Once again, Paul taught us that he was able to be content in each circumstance, and he had some very distasteful situations.

Then pray some more. I can tell God how I am feeling, and this is where His part comes in. Even if He doesn’t change the circumstance, He will change me, reminding me that He is perfect, powerful, good, and loves me.

Changing Your Mind

Do not conform to the pattern of this world but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will (Romans12:2).

There is an old term that has become a current buzzword—mindset. It can be described as a mental attitude that influences how we think, feel, talk, and act. It can be further explained as being positive or negative, fixed or growth-oriented. Although some people think that it is what it is, but Scripture tells us that it can be renewed.

In this verse we are cautioned not to copy the behaviors that are accepted in the world. This is especially crucial in today’s world where the opposite of biblical values is not only accepted, but often embraced.

Our natural minds are selfish, self-centered, self-seeking, self-willed, self-focused, self, self, self.  And if left undisciplined, self-destructive. Our natural mind has been compared to the terrible twos.

But what can we do if this is our natural inclination?

It is only through replacing our spirit with God’s Holy Spirit. He is ultimately the healer of our mind, but we can take responsibility by making positive changes in our lives.

Replace “I can’t” with “With God’s help, I can.” Repeat positive affirming scriptures verses—the real power words.

Meditate on God’s Word for a better understanding of who He is and what His plans are for you.

Associate with people who are spiritually growth-oriented.

Express gratitude. Instead of focusing on the negative, look for things to be grateful for.

Pray.

Pray first, last, and in the middle. There are definitely things we can do as our part or responsibility in the healing process, but just as a doctor does just so much for the healing of our body, God is the ultimate healer of our body, mind and spirit.